Practical
Plants

Sasa nipponica

Miyako-Zasa

a woody evergreen member of the Sasa genus in the family Gramineae.

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Taxonomy and growth

Family
Gramineae
Genus
Sasa
Foliage
evergreen
Woodiness
woody
Height
0.8 m
Fertility
Wind
Flower type
hermaphrodite
Pollinators
Wind

Uses

Edible uses

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Young shoots - cooked. They are so popular in Japan that a license is required in order to collect them. Seed - used as a cereal[2]. The seed is only produced at intervals of many years.

Plant part
Seed

Environment

Range
E. Asia - Japan.
Habitat
Woodlands and damp hollows, C. and S. Japan[4][3].
Shade tolerance
partial shade
Water
moderate
Hardiness
Zone 7+
Soil textures
sandy, loamy, clay
Soil pH
acid, neutral, alkaline
Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
No
Drought
intolerant

Propagation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Seed - if possible, surface sow the seed as soon as it is ripe in a greenhouse at about 20°c. Stored seed is best sown as soon as it is received. Do not allow the compost to dry out. Germination usually takes place fairly quickly so long as the seed is of good quality, though it can take 3 - 6 months. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle and grow them on in a lightly shaded place in the greenhouse until large enough to plant out, which could be a few years. Plants only flower at intervals of several years and so seed is rarely available. Division in late spring as new growth commences. Take large divisions, trying to cause as little root disturbance to the main clump as possible. Grow them on in light shade in a greenhouse in pots of a high fertility sandy medium. Mist the foliage regularly until plants are established. Plant them out into their permanent positions when a good root system has developed, which can take a year or more[3]. Divisions of less than 5 - 6 culms rarely succeed[3].

Cultivation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Prefers a damp humus rich soil in partial shade[3]. This species is notably resistant to honey fungus[3]. Plants only flower at intervals of many years. When they do come into flower most of the plants energies are directed into producing seed and consequently the plant is severely weakened. They sometimes die after flowering, but if left alone they will usually recover though they will look very poorly for a few years. If fed with artificial NPK fertilizers at this time the plants are more likely to die[1]. The rootstock can be rampant and invasive[3]. Plants are sometimes confused with Sasaella ramosa[3].

References

  1. ? The Plantsman. Vol. 1. 1979 - 1980. Royal Horticultural Society 1979-00-00

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  2. Kunkel. G. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books 1984-00-00 ISBN 3874292169

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  3. Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992-00-00 ISBN 0-333-47494-5

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4↩5↩6↩7

  4. Ohwi. G. Flora of Japan. (English translation) Smithsonian Institution 1965-00-00

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